Improvement in water meters or engines



W. SMITH.

WATER-METERSOR ENGINES.

Patented May 15, 187.7.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

WILLIAM SMITH, )F SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER METERS OR ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l90,920, dated May 15,1877 application filed May 22, 1876.

To all whom it mu/y concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SMITH, of San Francisco, State ofCalifornia, have invented an Improved Water Meter or Engine, of whichthe following is a specification:

My invention relates to an improvement in Huid-meters or mechanismapplicable to measuring water or obtaining power from the duid passingthrough, the construction of which enables them to be used either asmeters, pumps, or engines.

It consists of a continuous series of collapsing flexible pistonsarranged in a circle within a partitioned inclosing-case that hassegmental or other suitably arranged cylinders within it, and an inletand exhaust passage for the fluid, so that the pressure of the fluidpassing through the case from one side to the other will force thepistons through the cylinders,

and thus give motion to the wheel lmeshing or engaging with the ring orsegments that unite the pistons together.

Figurel of the accompanying drawing is a top view of the meter with thecase and cylinders in section. Fig.v2 is a transverse section throughthe line m m, Fig. 1, but with the plate or cover of the case secured inplace. Fig. 3 is a section of the case and smaller cylinder through theline y y, Fig. `1.

A A is the case or shell ot' the meter, composed of a circularV castingwith a circular channel extending around the edge, and a chamber, b,withinLthe space surrounded by the channel. The bed of this channelissomewhat below the level of the chamber b,and the entire case isstrengthened by the web A A beneath it. l

One-halt` of the channel communicates with the chamber b, while theother part is separated from it by the partition a., and connectionbetween these two parts of the case is had only through the cylinders DD', at the top and bottom of the case.

Two openings are provided in the case in line with the lower cylinder D,one constituting the inlet E, and opening into the pressure side of thecase, and the other, the exhaust F, leading from the exhaust side-of thechannel.-

These parts are covered and rendered water-tight by a cover or plate, G,of glass or metal, with a rubber gasket, g g, laid between it and therim of the case, and the partition a.

A series of flexible cup-shaped pistons, c c d d, are arranged in a ringhaving the same center as the circular channel. They are placed in pairsand connected together by the curved metal segments C C.

One set of these pistons, c c, are larger than the others, d d, and theyare arranged back to back, the cavity of the larger ones, c c, facing inone direction, or toward the inlet E, and the others, d d, turned in theopposite direction.

This ring iscomposed of a series of segments, C C, that are portions ofa circle, whose center is the same as that of the channel of the ease.They are made of glass, porcelain, or metal, with a hole or socket atone end and a screw-bolt at the other, and are provided with a cavity orrecess, e c, in the inner side, to receive the ends of the teeth of themotion-wheel B.

These segments are put together in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1,where two of the segments and their pistons are shown in section. Thebolt of one segment passes through the pistons c d, that are heldsecurely in place by means oi' the nut h, a washer, f, being insertedbetween them and the end is received into the socket ofthe next segment,where it is held by a screw, j, that passes through from the top.

The motion-wheel B is pivoted to one side of the center of the case A,so that the line of intimate gear between the wheel and the ring C shallbe nearly equidistant between the two cylinders, as the thrust due tothe pressure on the area of both cylinders D Dl is thereby taken on theaxis of the motionwheel.

The lower cylinder D is made of such diameter with reference to thepistons c c that these pistons shall pass readily through it whenexpanded by the pressure of the tluid, while the upper cylinder Dl isot' the same size as the smaller pistons d. Thus the pistons c can passthrough the lower cylinder in an expanded state; but to pass .throughthe upper cylinder they must become compressed or co1- lapsed.

As the pressure of the duid within the case and outside of the partitiona is equal, both at the upper and lower part, the ring O can move onlywhen one portion receives a greater pressure than the other; and one setof pisside of the case through the upper cylinder D', because thepistons c are in a compressed state within the cylinder,the distancebetween two ofthe larger pistons c c being equal to the length of thecylinder; and the pressure of the fluid is greater upon the largerpistons at the bottom than upon the smaller pistons at the top of thecase.

The bottom of the case A is provided with a stuffing-box, a', to receivethe axle b' of the motion-wheel; and suitable gearing and index wheelscan he connected with this wheel to register the revolutions of the ringU.

The cylinders D D' are made in segments,

Vafter the manner shown 1n Fig. 3, the face or lower part of the bottomportion being made angular, or of conical section, and set into the bedof the channel, While the upper part is planed smooth, to receive therubber gasket g.

The pistons c d may be made either circular or square, or corrugated intheir sectional area, and I do not conne myselt to the precise formshown.

As thus constructed and operated, my invention will be a correctindicator of the quantity ot' iluid passing through it, and this will beequal to a stream passing through the exhaust F that agrees with thedifference between the diameter of the smaller pistons d and thediameter of the cylinder D, and that quantity can pass through thecylinder only by carrying with it the larger pistons c c, and moving thering C in its channel.

My invention can be also employed as a pump by using a driving-wheelthat meshes into the piston wheel or ring C on the outside of theperiphery, and giving a rotary motion to the ring and its pistons.

The cap or cover G is secured to the case by means of the screws andclamp z' z', and is either of glass or of metal.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A fluid meter or engine constructed of a series of flexible andcollapsing pistons, arranged in a circle within a partitionedinclosing-case having an exhaust and a pressure side, and havingcylinders of different diameters within it, after the manner shown anddescribed, so that the pressure of the fluid, in passing through theinlet and outlet passages provided in the case, willat the same timeforce the pistons through one cylinder and draw them through the other,and thus give motion to the ring and its motion-wheel, as and for thepurpose set forth and specied.

2. In a lnid meter or engine, constructed as described, a series ofexpanding and collapsing pistons, c c d d, of dilerent diameters,arranged in pairs, and united together by the segments C C, combinedwith cylinders D D', of different diameters, in the manner and for thepurpose set forth and specified. v

3. In a duid meter or engine, constructed as described, the segmentalcyhnders D D', one of larger diameter than the other, arranged withinthe case, and combined with the piston-ring, in the manner and for theurpose substantially as setV forth and speci- 4. In a fluid meter orengine, the combination, with the piston-ring C, of the motionwheel B,constructed and arranged with it and with the inclosing-case A, in themanner and for the purpose described and shown.

5. The Ycircular case A, with its channel, and the partition a, dividingit into pressure and exhaust chambers, with inlet and outlet.

passages E F, and with a bearing. a', for the axis of the motion-wheelB, all constructed and arranged as described and specified, for thepurpose set forth.

6. The combination, with the case A, of the two cylinders D D', ofdifferent diameters, connecting the exhaust with the pressure side ofthe case, in the manner and for the purpose described and specified.

7. The segmental cylinders .D D', constructed in two parts, in themanner shown and described, and having the same length as the distancebetween any two of the pistons c c or d d, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand andseal this 10th day of May, 1876.

WM. sMI'rH. [1.. s]

Witnesses C. W. M. SMITH, PHILIP MAHLER.

